Though the 2015-25 Long Term Plan Council received submissions
from the community asking for the skate park at Sheaf Park to be improved. The
submissions identified safety issues with the park, that it was out of date and
an eyesore. Elected members asked Council staff to work with existing skate
park users and the wider community to come up with a design, associated costs
and a location.

Why is the skate park going on the corner of Kuirau and Pukuatua Streets?

There is good visibility from neighbouring properties and passing
vehicles and other park users which increases the safety of people using
the park;

The site is big enough to provide for a multi-user skate park
whilst maintaining significant green space;

Due to the geothermal nature of the park, this area is deemed the
most suitable for construction;

Allows other areas within the park to be developed in a cohesive
way that is sympathetic to the geothermal environment and makes the most
of the current park layout. (e.g. plans to create a geothermal play area
extending on the existing play space)

Constructing a new skate park at Kuirau Park was proposed during the 2018-2028 Long-term Plan consultation period. There are a number of reasons for the decision to move it to Kuirau Park which include:

It is close to the city centre and is
easy to access from the CyWay and bus routes;

There is suitable facilities, such as
parking and toilets within the wider park to support this activity, with
more already planned as part of the overall Kuirau Park re-development;

It will enhance the current no cost,
family friendly offerings and extend on the current age related play
activities to provide spaces for a wide range of family groups.

There is good visibility from
neighbouring properties and passing vehicles and other park users which
increases the safety of people using the park;

Sheaf Park, where the current skate park is located, was
considered. However Kuirau Park provided greater benefits for users in
terms of safety, connection to facilities and a more pleasant environment.
Adding a skate park within Kuirau Park would enhance the park as family
friendly recreational community asset.

As part of the 2018-2028 Long-term Plan Council committed $750,000 funding to the
proposed redevelopment. Council will be looking for other funders to contribute to the overall cost, once a final estimate is ascertained. The initial estimate for Sheaf
Park was $2.1 million however with additional facilities such as toilets and
car parking already available in Kuirau Park the cost could be less than this.

The proposed redevelopment will be designed to
enable the development to be staged over multiple years if necessary.